On My Way To Believing
by Arcturus-Sinclair
Summary: Pinch Hit for the V- day Challenge on for Chit Chat on Author's Corner. My prompts are Only Exception  Paramore ; white roses, dark chocolate, sleepy Reid. It's for the-vampire-act. Slash. Hotch, chocolate, a date with Reid. What? More inside!


A/N: Pinch Hit for the V- day Challenge on for Chit Chat on Author's Corner. My prompts are Only Exception (Paramore); white roses, dark chocolate, sleepy Reid. It's for the-vampire-act. This is slash. I own nothing. Also, love you all for even looking at this, let alone reviewing it.

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Chocolate. There was a small, somewhat expensive box of chocolates on Hotch's desk. More specifically, dark chocolate, which was his favorite. Not many people knew that though, despite it being fitting. He was staring at the small card that was attached. All it had on it was the simple to and from spots. The from, however, was what shocked him. According to the card it was from Reid. Shy, awkward Reid.

…Though, looking at the handwriting closely, it was Garcia's. This only meant she wrote the card. Hotch glanced out towards the bullpen, and caught Reid looking towards him before he went back to the paperwork in front of him.

He dropped himself in his chair. …What the hell was he going to do? He knew he found Reid attractive. Did that mean he wanted a relationship with him? Or anyone for that matter? He sighed, heavily. He then made a split second decision. He grabbed his phone and phone book and dialed the nearest flower shop. He thought about what type of flowers to order, and white roses popped into his mind. They fit Reid, roses were elegant, but white roses meant innocence.

He ordered them for as soon as they could get there and hung up. He then tried to decide what he wanted. He chewed on his lip absently before looking out to the bullpen again. Since he was being honest with himself, he noted that he could see himself with Reid. The younger man had a lot of qualities he would want in a lover.

There was his answer. He picked up his phone again and made reservations at a restaurant near his house. He then settled back in his chair, looking down at the paperwork he had to finish.

He sighed, not thrilled. He had way too much paperwork. He'd somehow accumulated more in the few hours he'd been sleeping. He had to do it though, that was one of the joys of being Unit Chief. He picked up his pen and began filling out the papers, in order of priority.

While Hotch was working on his paperwork, Reid was watching him, making sure not to get caught again. He wondered if Hotch had gotten the chocolates. He assumed that he had by now… Reid went back to his paperwork until a delivery boy came over with a large bouquet of white roses.

"Spencer Reid?" The delivery boy shifted the flowers so he could see more.

"Doctor Spencer Reid," Reid corrected, without thinking. "That's me," he added. He was confused as to why flowers were coming to him, despite it being Valentine's Day. No one ever sent flowers to him.

"Pretty Boy's got a secret admirer? Who'd you finally get, Reid?" Morgan looked shocked, and amused at Reid's floundering.

"I...Ah, I don't know." Reid's face had heated up and he busied himself with looking at the small attached card. His jaw dropped before he could stop it and his eyes flew up to Hotch's office. Was he insane? If anyone had intercepted that they'd both be out of a job.

Hotch watched as Reid got the flowers. He'd made sure to keep the card simple, in case it did get intercepted. He also would have lied through his teeth to Strauss if he had to. He pulled out his phone and sent a simple text. He then sat back and waited.

Reid felt his phone buzz and jumped. He pulled it out and saw he had a text from Hotch.

_My office, now. _

Reid bit his lip and his shoulders slumped. Might as well make it look like he was getting yelled at for the flowers. He stood up and headed to Hotch's office. He walked in and shut the door silently behind him. "You…you wanted to see me?"

Hotch nodded and motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down." He then stood and shut the blinds.

Reid folded himself into the chair and fiddled with his fingers. He kept his eyes on his lap and waited for Hotch to speak. To reject him.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?" Might as well get right to the point. He watched Reid closely, noticing the look of worry on his face.

Reid eyes flew up to meet the darker brown orbs of his boss. "You—you want to go out to dinner with _me_?" he squeaked. His face was a dark red, but there was also shock written on it.

Hotch stared. "If I didn't, do you think I would have bought you flowers? Or asked you?" His eyes bored into Reid's. Reid should have known by now that Hotch didn't do anything he didn't want to.

"T-true…" Reid whispered. He then looked up and frowned slightly. "Do you realize how much trouble we could have gotten into with the flowers?" He looked more concerned than angry, however.

Hotch rolled his eyes. "I would have lied. No one could prove I sent for them." That was true… He watched Reid silently. "Unless you don't want to," he added, giving Reid a way to bow out.

"I…No, I want to go. I'm just confused as to why…" His eyes fell on the box of chocolates and he worried his lower lip. "Are…Are those the only reason why you're doing this?"

Hotch followed his gaze. "Honestly, those are what caused me to look at my feelings and realize I wanted to, at the very least, take you out." He lifted his gaze to look at Reid. He saw the shock in his gaze and wanted to sigh. Had no one ever told Reid they loved him, and truly meant it?

Reid looked uncomfortable with the conversation, and quickly changed the subject. "Where are we going to eat?" He played with his hair absently, still feeling awkward.

"I was thinking Amici." Amici was a nearby, semi-expensive Italian restaurant. Hotch sat back contently.

Reid's jaw dropped slightly. "But…but, that's expensive." He already felt a load of guilt coming on. He had a feeling that if he tried to pay, Hotch would do one of two things. One, refuse to let him even see the bill or two, let him think that he paid, but give him his money back when they were driving away.

"Oh well," Hotch replied, dismissively. "It's Valentine's Day. People tend to be extravagant to the people they care about." Hotch-speak for 'Shut the hell up and let me buy you dinner like a good date should.'

Reid sighed. "All right," he finally muttered. He realized Hotch wouldn't give up. Did he really care, though? Or was he just doing it out of obligation?

"Would you like to go straight from here? Or go home and clean up or do whatever you'd need to?" Hotch raised an eyebrow, knowing Reid still felt guilty. "And if my paying is such an issue, consider it payment for last Christmas Eve." That past Christmas Eve the team went out to eat, but Hotch had somehow lost his credit card, and Reid offered to pay before Rossi could.

Reid smiled slightly, deciding to do that. "And I think a shower beforehand would be nice." He scratched his head. He then dropped his eyes back to his lap.

"All right. I'll pick you up around seven, unless you'd prefer later," Hotch offered. He figured the two hours would give them both enough time to get cleaned up.

Reid nodded. "Seven works fine for me," he agreed. He then stood and cocked his head to the side, inquisitively. "Anything else?"

"No, I think I've covered it all," Hotch noted, with a small grin. He watched Reid scurry out, presumably to finish his paperwork before he had to leave. Hotch sighed before getting back to his own paperwork.

~ o ~

About an hour later, Hotch finally finished his paperwork, again being the last one to leave. He stood and headed to the door, grabbing his jacket as he left. He drove home and hopped into the shower.

He changed into a less formal suit and drove to pick up Reid, his heart pounding much like a teenager's on a first date. Then again…this was his first date since Hayley died… He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding before heading up the stairs to Reid's apartment. He knocked on the door twice, suddenly noticing he always knocked the same way. …Strange.

"H-hold on!" Reid's voice called out. The door opened to reveal a distinctly rumpled Reid. He'd fallen asleep in the couch, after showering and changing. Showers always made him sleepy…

Hotch was slightly amused at the way Reid looked. "If you'd rather do this another night," he offered.

Reid yawned slightly before pouting slightly at the elder man. "Are you trying to make an escape plan or something? I want to do this. Today. You convinced me, Hotch." He stretched slightly, trying to wake himself up. He then grabbed his jacket and shuffled out, locking his door behind him. He then turned to Hotch, smiling gently.

Hotch gave a brief smile back, before leading them down the stairs and back to his car. He pulled out silently. His silence was nothing new, he was normally quiet.

Reid was nervous, but oddly excited. Wasn't this what he'd hoped would happen when he'd asked Garcia to write the note? But, hoping and reality were two very different things, as he was learning. He rested his head against the seat, still shaking of the remnants of sleep.

Hotch realized that he found Reid oddly endearing when he was tired, and blinked at that knowledge. He leaned over and brushed some stray hairs out of Reid's eyes, gently.

Reid jumped at the contact at first, and then sleepily nuzzled Hotch's hand. He was much more affectionate when he was tired. His eyes drifted shut for a moment at the content feelings welling up. "Mm," he murmured.

Hotch let out a quiet chuckle at Reid. He pulled his hand back after a moment, needing it to drive. He pulled into the parking lot moments later and shut off the engine. "Come on, sleepyhead," he teased good-naturedly.

Reid blinked for a moment. Did Hotch just tease him? Apparently so. He shook his head, not bothering to touch that. He got out of the car, seeming a bit more awake. He shuffled over to Hotch, and decided to try to be bold. He leaned his body against Hotch's, waiting for the elder man to push him away.

Hotch paused for a moment, locking the doors before wrapping an arm around Reid's slender waist. God that felt good. Better than he'd ever thought it would. He stood there for a moment, just holding Reid, before pulling away to lead him inside. He realized there were still social norms, and holding hands with your male subordinate was not one of them.

Reid almost whined when Hotch pulled away, but stopped himself. He realized why Hotch did it. When inside his eyes fell upon a table cloth, his mouth opened.

"Did you know that in many European cultures a white, or mainly white, tablecloth used to be the standard covering for a dinner table? In the later medieval period spreading a high quality white linen or cotton cloth was an important part of preparing for a feast in a wealthy household. Over time the custom of arranging tableware on a cloth became common for most social classes except the very poorest. As eating habits changed in the 20th century, a much greater range of table-setting styles developed," he rambled, his nervousness getting the better of him. The moment he was done, though, he let out a large yawn.

Hotch listened to his rambling with tolerance. The other patrons around them just stared at Reid.

"Have robots finally been completed?" one woman whispered to her date, loud enough for Hotch and Reid to hear. Hotch snorted, amused. Reid, however, looked close to starting a rant on that. "Reid," Hotch warned, still a bit amused.

"Sorry, Hotch," Reid mumbled, sheepishly. His face was slightly red as they were lead to a table, finally. Hotch pulled Reid's chair out for him, once again attracting stares. He just shrugged them off and settled in his own seat.

Reid went even more red at the show of chivalrousness. He settled down and began scanning the menu, having never been there before. His gaze found a pasta in a white wine sauce that sounded good, so he decided on that.

Hotch was a bit more picky. He perked up, hearing a familiar song playing.

_When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind. _

Hotch wracked his brain, trying to remember the name of the song, until Reid spoke. "The Only Exception. It's by Paramore. Garcia plays it a lot," he reminded Hotch. Never mind how much it fit the way Reid was feeling.

"_And I've always lived like this keeping a comfortable distance._" 'Well, there was Reid in a nutshell', Hotch thought. He let out a quiet sigh. "Thank you. It was bothering me, slightly," he admitted, smiling.

"I could tell," Reid drawled. He seemed a bit more light-hearted, but his hands were still fidgeting on his lap. He perked up when a waiter came over, and ordered his pasta, as well as a cup of coffee.

Hotch snickered softly at the coffee, and ordered just a normal angel-hair pasta with a meat sauce. He also ordered a glass of rose wine.

Reid pouted slightly at Hotch. "What's so funny?"

"You. You're adorable, you know," Hotch pointed out, in a very Hotch-like way.

Reid blinked. Then he blinked again, and turned red. "W-what? I am not…" He huffed slightly, just furthering the cuteness fact. He looked down, just as the coffee came. He perked up and pulled the cup forwards, filling it with sugar.

Hotch grinned at the amount of sugar Reid was putting in his cup. "You realize there's more sugar than coffee in there?" His tone was colored with amusement and his eyes were bright, for once.

"I'm well aware of my sugar intake, Hotch." Reid grinned back.

"Aaron. While we're here, please, call me Aaron," Hotch replied, glancing up as the pasta came. He took a sip of his wine.

Reid nodded, content, before beginning to eat slowly.

Dinner was hell for Hotch. Every time he glanced up, he saw Reid's lips wrap around a noodle. It was almost as if the younger man was _trying_ to make him hard. He shifted for the third time, trying to cover his growing erection. He attempted to focus on his on food.

"Is there something wrong, H—I mean Aaron?" Reid was watching him, concerned.

"No, everything's fine, Spencer," Hotch managed to get out, his voice cracking slightly. He took a drink to mask it and calm down. He felt like a horny teenager.

"Are you sure?" Reid didn't seem to believe him, but did seem willing to let it drop. He twirled his fork around his pasta and slid it into his mouth.

Hotch wanted to groan, but managed to hold out. He firmly focused on his dinner and managed to finish without any more issues. He still hadn't finished his drink, not wanting to get even a little buzzed.

Reid seemed a bit more awake with the food in him. The sugar, however, was making him more tired. He tilted his head at Hotch, some of his long hair falling into his eyes. "What are we doing after this?"

Hotch hadn't thought that far ahead. "Hm…I'm not sure, this was all I had planned for tonight," he admitted, sheepishly.

Reid chuckled. "Ah, I see. Well, we can either end it here and do something another night or, we can go back to one of our houses for another drink," he offered, amused.

"Well, I don't think we want to push it too fast, so I'll be a gentleman and take you home." That, and Hotch was too hard to be a gentleman if he drank anymore…

Reid chuckled, not shocked by Hotch's answer. "You're right. As usual," he added. He watched as Hotch got the check and paid it, falling silent. He was becoming slightly tired again, the lack of good sleep finally catching up with him. He covered his mouth as he yawned.

"Nightmares, again?" Hotch asked, sliding his card onto the receipt. He waited to get his card back, focusing on Reid, again.

"Always, they never fade," Reid replied, sounding tired. The sugar seemed to make him more tired now.

"Have you thought about taking something for them? And no, I don't mean narcotics. There are herbal things now," Hotch pointed out, knowing all too well about Reid's former addiction.

"Mm, I'm not too sure about those. I'll try looking into it, though." Reid smiled faintly at Hotch's concern. He stood when Hotch got his credit card back and followed the elder man back to his car.

Hotch opened all of the doors for Reid, continuing his chivalrous behavior. He then settled in his own seat for the ride back. The ride back was silent, but a comfortable silence. He pulled into Reid's apartment complex and parked.

Reid grinned as Hotch opened his door, again. "Having fun doing that?" He jumped out and rested against Hotch for a moment.

"A gentleman should always open doors for his date. Or so the classes my mother made me take told me." Hotch wrapped an arm around Reid, content to stand there for a moment holding Reid.

Reid snuggled into the embrace, a bit nervously, glancing around slightly. He didn't want someone to see and make a big deal out of it.

Hotch led Reid up to his apartment, and stopped outside the door. He ran a hand over Reid's face gently.

Reid leaned into the touch, his eyelashes fluttering against Hotch's hand. He let out a contented sigh. "I had a wonderful time," he murmured.

"As did I," Hotch returned. He lifted Reid's chin to place a gentle kiss on his lips before letting go. He stepped back, smiling. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Reid nodded and walked in, shutting his door. He leaned against it, smiling blissfully. He'd never felt this good before, and wanted it to last forever.

Maybe it would. Only time would tell.

_You are the only exception. And I'm on my way to believing. Oh, and I'm on my way to believing._

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A/N: Another fic done. And I'm quite pleased with it. Once it finally decided to let me write it, that is. -laughs- I'm not done yet! I have a bunch of stuff waiting to be written so, bear with me!


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